236' The hf ouerle .of ,Hypoerifie. ?Mani;4r. as in a net e) frogs, as wellas good fifh: but that thou (houldefi be a part ofthat heauenly and fpirituall housewhereof Chrifl lefus is head, is a thingutterly irn pofible. Thou thyCelle ifthou build an houfe, though it be neuerfo mease, wilt notput a (toneinto itas it comes from the quarry, vntill the Malone toole haue fitted it forthe place where it muftbe;neither wilt thou ioyne ina peece oftim. ber asit commethfrom the Wood,but fomewhat more or lefle (hall bedone vn. toit t-why thoulde(l thou then thinke the Lord to beemote careleffe in thebull. dingand beautifyingofhis Church,'then thou art in fittingand ftaming.a dwel- ling forthy feffe? Wilt not thoufuffra ragged vnhewen lione tobecouched in thywall, ora milhapen and vnwrought peecetobee ioyned with thy building? and.willhe admit ofan vntoward,crooked, and vneaught, and vnreformedheart tobecoupled into that exaft and curious, andvnfpotted building, which is his Church? Or ifthoudoelt thinke and confe(ie, that thou mull lintbee framed and wrought anew for the Lords worke; (hewmee, ifthou cants, anyotherin. ílrumentappointed by God for that end, then this axeofthe publike'Miniftery ; Nameme any one that waseuer made a member of Godshoule, that was found guilty of the contempt and bale ellimationofthis means; which if thou canit notThew, (as fare I am thou canftnot) why wilt thou then flop thine careslike thedeafe Adder, and call the Wordof Godbehinde thee,when neither thoucan(t fay, that thou needeft no framing, neither can(l promue that there isanother meanes by which the Lord will fafbion thee ? Therefore I fayvnto thee, pleafe notthy felfein thine owne wilful( obilinacie, or in the careleffe negleâ of the Lordsworimmanlhip : for thisI will tell thee, and thou Lair be lure tofinde it true,that as thou, beeing a builder, when a hone breakes, or is vnfathionable, throweft it from thee, to beetrodenrader foot ofmen; or ifatree which thou haft brought into thyyard,and thyworkmen findeth it tobee fappyor hollow, On fo full ofknots that it wil nor ferueforthe purpofethou intendell,thou leaned ir roehe fire to beburned, fo when the Lord bathtryedtheeagain; andagaine bythe axe of his Word, but the fappe ofthy natural]corruption will not beecut out; the crookedneffe of thy froward heart will not depart from thee, but gPGlsoa. thou 'men bateff to bee reformed'; Purely then the Lordwill call thee o11 and leaue theeinto thatvnquenchable fire, ofwhich we fhall haue occafion ro fpeake more hereafter. And fo much that the Minifery of the Word,is compared to anAxe. It followeth, anoílxe per to the roote of trees, that is (as I haue expounded it) urged and applyed to mens confciences, layd and preffed to the heart's ofthehearers. For looke what the route is vnto the reft ofthe tree, the fame is r pro.ns ;. theheart to thewhole man. Tbereout temmethlife, faith Salomon°, This (hew. Doúrine 3. ethwhatought tobee themanner of the handlingof the Word ofGod, it mull not bee fitted to pleafe mens cares, but to ¡titre vp and to affeâ their hearts. Wee doenot (faith Paul} bandle the WerdofGod deceitfafy, that is, wee doe not huck(ter it as men doe their wares, caring rather to beguile, then to profit the buyer, but indeclaratianofthe truth, the approoue ourfelaes to Carryman;eonfcienee is C4 (n Car.r4uf. thefight ads. The fame A ontefaith,thatthewordofGodwhenitistí ht. Iyhandled, dotbmake the Poetsofemery mansbeartmanifif4 And it is the na. tareof theWord to enterthrough, to bee a di/Cerner ofthe thoughts and invents of tHeb.4.12. the heart 5'. Nathanthe Prophet laide the axeto the roote, when, he told Dauid, x r King is. Thauartthe mas `. So did Elias when hee Paid toAhab, it is thou andthy fathers, y Ames7. houfe that batee troubled lfrael r. So did eitmos when hee preached at Bethel, the .Kings mimeChappell, the dellruâionof the Kings owne houle. So did Fla- whenhe laid plainelyto theKing, that hee had done foolillrly, nor toaft z e Chroa s upon the Lord i. Sodid Zacbariab, when he told loath, hee Ihouldnot profpe , azChro,n4. if hee fotfooke the Lord So did all the Prophets, when they Chewed the people
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